Leader's Beacon | The Leadership Experts

Employee engagement is all the rage these days. It’s commonly touted as the key to transforming an organization from good to great.

When a new organizational effectiveness ‘truth’ comes along there are two common responses.

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Wherever you look, news about the economy is bad.

Layoffs abound. Pfizer, a pharmaceutical giant, recently announced 8,000 job cuts. Home Depot, the biggest home improvement retailer in the U.S., said it will eliminate 7,000 jobs. Even the State of California is letting 20,000 go. The economy lost 2.6 million jobs last year, the most since 1945, and it shows no signs of improving in 2009. Continue Reading

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The Eastern Ontario dairy farm on which I grew up had numerous oak trees. I have fond memories of collecting autumn oak leaves colored red and orange-brown or fallen acorns for science projects during my school years. Itdeeproots always amazed me that such a massive plant could grow from a small acorn when planted in the proper soil.

Yet, the key to the oak’s imposing stature is what lies beneath the soil out of view–its root system. And the oak’s root system is just as impressive as its visible features. Continue Reading

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Optimism is true moral courage. Determining to be hopeful and positive in the face of daunting circumstances is a gutsy choice effective leaders make again and again. It’s easy to give in to negativity and pessimism when leading on the edge of chaos. Yet, resisting the tendency to give in to despair, discouragement and defeat when confronting tremendous hardship or disappointment is a key factor in being a leader people will follow – even on the edge of chaos. Continue Reading

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“Deep within humans dwell those slumbering powers;
powers that would astonish them, that they never dreamed of possessing;
forces that would revolutionize their lives if aroused and put into action.”
Orison Marden

It’s 9:01 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, Friday, May 18, 2001. I am writing this on an Air Canada plane flying from Toronto to Los Angeles. I will be spending the next two days working with Dr. Linda Berens. Linda is one of the leading theorists in North America regarding personality type. She heads Interstrength Associates, an organization devoted to promoting the understanding and ethical use of personality type. Continue Reading

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What makes someone an effective leader?

Take a moment and think of the person whom you have most admired/enjoyed having as a leader. Consider not only your work experience, but also your volunteer activities, religious affiliations, and recreational pursuits. Continue Reading

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